Thomas, WV Awarded $200,000 U.S. EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant

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Photo courtesy Green RiversMayor Matt Quattro and other stakeholders standing on the riverfront park property that will receive a Phase II environmental assessment because of the grant, as a part of the larger Thomas Riverfront Park Development Plan.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected the City of Thomas in Tucker County, WV for a 2014 Brownfields Assessment Grant of $200,000. These are community-wide hazardous substances grant funds and will be used to conduct up to seven Phase I and up to four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to prepare up to five cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities.

Supported by the city, as a part of its Thomas Riverfront Park Development Plan, New Historic Thomas worked closely with the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center and other stakeholders for over three years, leading up to completing the grant application in January of 2014. New Historic Thomas will continue to work with the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center and the EPA District III office in Philadelphia to conduct assessments on the riverfront property and other identified downtown properties, as well as to prepare cleanup and outreach plans. “The City of Thomas is thrilled to receive the brownfields grant after such an inspiring collaborative effort, and this money will go a long way to continue our community’s redevelopment plans,” responded Mayor Matt Quattro.

The EPA Brownfields Program:

“…empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism” (EPA Press Release, 5/28/2014).

Visit the EPA newsroom website to read the official grant announcement press release.

New Historic Thomas is a non-profit community group dedicated to revitalizing the City of Thomas by preserving its history, cultural heritage, and resources that make the city unique. Visit New Historic Thomas’ website at www.newhistoricthomas.com for more information about the organization and its current projects, including the Thomas Riverfront Park Development Plan.